A Brief History On December 21, 2012, people across the globe waited for the end of the world! Of course, we know the world did not end then, but why did so many people think it would? Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the roots of this “prophecy” in the Mayan calendar. The Mayan civilization not only made impressive pyramids and other buildings, but also was observant of astronomical phenomena and based a long term calendar cycle on those observations. In the cycle that was computed, the last date was December 21, 2012. Many people since then have taken that…
Browsing: Bizarre Bulletin
A Brief History On December 17, 1969, the U.S. Air Force shut down Project Blue Book, its investigation of UFOs. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the late 1940s spawning a spate of UFO sightings. The U.S. Air Force conducted Project Sign in 1947 to study these reports, and Project Grudge in 1948. In 1952, Project Blue Book became the exhaustive investigation we know of today, the brainchild of Air Force generals who demanded a more thorough approach. Lasting until 1969 (mere months after the first moon landing), Project Blue Book had investigated over 12,000 reported incidents! The final report…
A Brief History On December 15, 1967, the “Mothman” prophecy came true when the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River collapsed tumbling cars into the cold water! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find a bridge disaster that claimed 46 lives that may have been predicted by a supernatural or alien entity! Connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio the Silver Bridge was built in 1928 and crossed the Ohio River. It was a suspension bridge of the eye-bar chain design and was later found to have failed due to a chain link breaking and the design not allowing for…
A Brief History On this date, December 12, 1098, in what is now Syria, Crusaders massacred 20,000 Muslims and ate some of them! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find European Christians launching what is now known as the First Crusade, an attempt to take back lands overrun by the sweeping Muslim hordes. Besieging a city at Ma’arra (various spellings) the Crusaders were at the walls on December 12, 1098 when the Muslims inside finally surrendered after about a month of resistance. Promises of the safety of residents to the contrary, the Crusaders began the systematic slaughter of the population. Frustrated…
A Brief History On this date, December 10, 1907, a long running feud between the medical community and anti-vivisectionist activists boiled over into the worst of the riots and disturbances over the statue of a dog! Digging Deeper Digging deeper we find the turn of the century London medical community leaving the dark ages of medicine and trying to approach something more like the research we have today. Part of that scientific quest included the practice of vivisection, dissecting animals while they are still alive. This practice was used for research and also for the instruction of medical students, and…